LaBelle
A French surname meaning “the beautiful” or “the fine one,” often originally a nickname or descriptive byname.
The #5,570 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 49,463 Americans shares it.
Etymology
LaBelle is a French surname built from the definite article la and belle, meaning “beautiful” or “fine.” As a surname, it likely began as a descriptive nickname for a woman or family member, or as a formed name with a complimentary sense rather than a literal occupational label. In French usage, the surname is usually understood as “the beautiful one” or “the lovely one.”
History
The name appears in French and French-influenced naming patterns, and it is especially common in places shaped by French settlement or French-language records. In North America it may also reflect later French-Canadian or French immigrant heritage. English and French surname dictionaries sometimes list it alongside similar forms such as Lebel, Lavelle, and Lavalley, which can lead to spelling variation in records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because la belle is a normal French phrase, the surname can sometimes be hard to tell apart from a descriptive phrase in older records.
From the historical record
“Richard Beatriceson, C. R., 1 1 Edw. If. labelle fil. Willelmi Beteson, 1379 : P. T. Yorks. p. 220. Richard Beteaon, 1494, co. York. W. 1 1 . These two last entries agree with”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)